Youth soccer participation among male players aged 12 to 18 years resulted in an injury incidence of 3.7 injuries per 1000 hours of play, with 70% occurring in the lower extremities.
Cohort (n=496)
What is the incidence and pattern of injuries in male youth soccer players aged 12 to 18 years?
Youth soccer is a relatively low-risk sport with an injury incidence of 3.7 per 1000 hours, predominantly affecting the lower extremities.
We registered all new injuries among 496 male youth soccer players, aged 12 to 18 years, during the course of one year. The incidence of injury was 3.7 injuries per 1000 hours of soccer per player. The incidence increased with age, and at the higher ages within the youth players, approached the incidence rate of senior players (age greater than or equal to 18 years). Seventy percent of the injuries were located in the lower extremities, particularly the knee (26%) and ankle (23%). Back pain occurred in 14% of players. Fractures, which accounted for 4% of injuries, were most often in the upper extremities. We conclude that youth soccer is a relatively low-risk sport with an injury pattern that differs slightly from that of senior players.
Schmidt-Olsen et al. (1991) conducted a cohort in Soccer injuries (n=496). Youth soccer participation was evaluated on Incidence of injury per 1000 hours of soccer. Youth soccer participation among male players aged 12 to 18 years resulted in an injury incidence of 3.7 injuries per 1000 hours of play, with 70% occurring in the lower extremities.